The first light of dawn broke, and a silken morning mist veiled the mysterious forest.

Early morning should have been the most active hunting time for the Two-winged Feathered Serpents, the forest filled with the hissing of their wings cutting through the air.

Today, however, it was terrifyingly silent.

A fear born from primal instinct had plunged the entire forest into a deathly hush.

In the next moment, a colossal shadow tore through the morning mist, descending upon the forest.

The Golden Dragon, Sun, slowly unfurled its pair of hundred-meter-wide golden Dragon Wings.

A Domain Level pressure descended in an instant, like a tangible boulder pressing down on every single Two-winged Feathered Serpent.

In the forest canopy, the Feathered Serpents that had been preparing to take flight stiffened and dropped like dumplings from a pot, kicking up clouds of dust as they hit the ground.

Their hisses turned into whimpers of terror as they coiled up, trembling uncontrollably.

"Wind Magic!"

Raylo’s voice rang out.

Led by Ailia, more than twenty Mages mounted on Pegasi raised their Magic Staffs in unison.

Magic Power surged, and a wind rose from the still air.

Following them, sixteen Griffin Knights dove down. Their mounts flapped their wings powerfully, gathering the breeze into a raging hurricane.

The leading Griffin Guard directly conjured several tempests, which merged with the gales whipped up by the Mages.

WHOOSH!

A massive, visible wave of wind, guided by the Golden Dragon’s wings, acted like an invisible giant’s hand, brutally sweeping away the perennial mist that shrouded the forest.

For the first time, sunlight pierced through the leaves unhindered, illuminating everything in the forest with perfect clarity.

In the sky, over two hundred Pegasus Knights were already in formation, the sun glinting off their polished Armor and Long Spears with a deadly cold light.

The field of view opened up completely. The Two-winged Feathered Serpents, which could have hidden in the mist, were now utterly exposed to their hunters.

"Sun."

Raylo’s voice rang out.

The Golden Dragon raised its head high, its majestic golden vertical pupils showing not a hint of mercy.

It opened its massive maw, and a golden torrent that had been brewing for a long time erupted forth.

Dragon Breath!

The searing torrent wasn’t a wide-area carpet bombing of fire; instead, it shot with precision toward the few spots in the forest where the Feathered Serpents’ auras were most concentrated.

Those were their nests.

In an instant, several areas of towering ancient trees turned into giant torches. The terrifying heat incinerated the hidden Feathered Serpents along with their nests, reducing them all to charcoal.

Raylo had Sun conserve its energy. The next battle would be his main event.

There was no need for Sun to expend too much Dragon Breath and Magic Power on this flock of Tier Two Two-winged Feathered Serpents.

The instinct for survival finally overcame their bloodline-deep fear.

"HISS!"

The surviving swarm of Feathered Serpents erupted into chaos. Screeching, they frantically burst from their hiding places. Some flew toward the sky, attempting to escape this land of death, while others, driven to desperation, charged fearlessly at the Knight formations on the ground.

"Loose!"

The Knights, who had been waiting for this moment, switched to the Strong Bows and Javelins they had prepared.

Against such agile Flying Magical Beasts, ranged attacks were the most effective method.

TWANG!

The thrum of bowstrings merged into a single sound.

A rain of arrows and Javelins wove a great net of death that descended from the sky.

The Feathered Serpents that had just taken to the sky were shot precisely through their wings and heads before they could even gain altitude, plummeting like kites with their strings cut.

The Knights on the ground calmly formed a defensive line. The Heavy Armor Knights in the front rank raised their Tower Shields, easily blocking the suicide charges of the few serpents that got through. The Knights in the back rank coolly drew their bows and shot, picking off the ones that had slipped through the net and reached them.

The sky was the hunting ground of the Golden Dragon, the Griffin Knights, and the Pegasus Knights. The ground was the slaughterhouse of the Close Combat Knights.

It was an encirclement and annihilation with a foregone conclusion.

These Tier Two Magical Beasts, which usually lorded over the Jade Swamp, were fragile and utterly vulnerable before the precise war machine of the Black Stone Territory.

In less than an hour, the battle had subsided.

A thick stench of burning and blood filled the forest.

The corpses of over six hundred Two-winged Feathered Serpents lay scattered throughout the woods. Only a few dozen lucky ones had managed to escape from the edges of the battlefield during the initial chaos.

"Clean up the battlefield."

Ed’s voice sounded.

The Knights expertly began to collect their spoils, piling most of the Feathered Serpent corpses in a designated clearing.

Coal Ball came running out on its short little legs, its face full of excitement. It opened its mouth, which was comically large for its body, and took a huge gulp at the mountain of serpent corpses.

FWOOM!

The mountain of corpses vanished into thin air.

It let out a satisfied burp, then trotted back and nuzzled its small head against Raylo’s leg armor as if seeking praise.

"Well done."

Raylo rubbed its smooth little head.

Coal Ball hadn’t participated in the battle, but its presence as the Minister of Logistics meant they weren’t bogged down by heavy spoils of war and could remain mobile.

Besides the serpent corpses, the Knights also recovered over a hundred intact Feathered Serpent eggs from the nests that hadn’t been hit by the Dragon Breath.

This time, however, the Knights didn’t hand all the spoils over to Coal Ball.

They picked out several dozen of the best-looking Feathered Serpents and carried them back to the hill where they had rested the previous night.

The battle was over. It was time for today’s breakfast.

A dozen or so bonfires were quickly lit in the temporary camp. The skinned and gutted Feathered Serpents were skewered over the flames. Fat dripped into the fire, making a SIZZLING sound, and the rich aroma of meat soon dispersed the stench of blood wafting from the forest.

"Hey, you used too much salt!"

"Nonsense, yours is just undercooked. Grill it a little longer, this serpent meat is a bit tough."

"Who brought wine? It’ll go perfectly with the serpent meat!"

The Knights sat around the bonfires in twos and threes, talking and laughing loudly as they used their daggers to carve off pieces of golden-brown roasted serpent meat and eat their fill.

After the tense battle, this relaxed atmosphere felt especially precious.

Ed personally roasted a skewer of the most tender loin meat, sprinkled it with spices, and presented it to Raylo.

"My Lord, please try it."

"Mm."

Raylo took the roasted meat and bit into it. The flesh was firm, with a unique, savory flavor.

He ate slowly, watching Moonlight in the distance as it struggled with a roasted serpent wing.

Amidst this relaxed atmosphere, several sharp, eagle-like cries echoed from the sky.

Several Pegasus Knights on reconnaissance duty dove down from different directions. They dismounted and knelt on one knee.

"My Lord! The Demon Ape Tribe thirty kilometers to the west has assembled! There are about two hundred of them, and they are moving toward our position!"

"My Lord! The Frogman Tribe forty kilometers to the south has also mobilized! Their numbers exceed two thousand, and they are rapidly approaching along the swamp waterways!"

"My Lord! News of our advance into the Jade Swamp has spread! The Demon forces throughout the swamp are mobilizing, forming a massive encirclement, and are closing in on our current position!"

One piece of bad news followed another, but Raylo’s expression remained unchanged.

Raylo swallowed the last bite of serpent meat as if the thousands of Demons closing in were nothing more than after-dinner conversation.

’When fighting deep within the Jade Swamp, being surrounded is only to be expected.’

The Black Stone Army continued to rest on the high ground for another two hours. Just as the Knights were growing anxious and eagerly requesting permission to ride out and crush the encroaching Demons, another Pegasus Knight flew in from the distance.

Raylo looked at the last Pegasus Knight, who had just landed.

"Any movement from the Demon Serpent Temple?"

This Knight looked more exhausted than the others, having clearly undertaken the longest-range reconnaissance mission.

He caught his breath and reported in a low voice.

"My Lord, we have been monitoring the Demon Serpent Temple. Just half an hour ago, a three-thousand-strong Demon Serpent Legion stationed at the Temple suddenly set out, also heading in our direction!"

When this news broke, even Ed’s expression changed slightly.

The Demon Serpent Legion was the most elite armed force in the Jade Swamp. Composed of Tier Two Snake-men, they were well-trained and far superior to the Demon tribes that acted on instinct.

All the enemies had been lured out.

The Black Stone Army was like a great stone cast into a calm lake, stirring up monstrous waves throughout the entire Jade Swamp.

They seemed to have fallen into a desperate situation, surrounded on all sides.

However, a sharp glint flashed in Raylo’s eyes.

’This is the news I’ve been waiting for.’

He slowly rose to his feet, his gaze sweeping over all of his subordinates, who stood ready for battle.

"Ed."

"Here!"

Ed took a step forward, his body ramrod straight.

"I’m giving you command of the main army."

"You will immediately lead all troops back to the Black Stone Territory border at full speed. Rendezvous with Bolin’s Black Stone Knight Order, and use the defensive line we’ve established to organize a defense. Prepare to receive their ’visit.’"

Ed was stunned for a moment, then he understood Raylo’s intention, but he couldn’t help but ask.

"And you, my Lord?"

The corner of Raylo’s mouth curled into a cold smirk. He raised his head and looked in the direction of the Demon Serpent Temple.

"I’m going to collect the spoils of this war."

He turned, his voice becoming decisive and icy.

Ed’s pupils contracted. He instantly understood Raylo’s insane and audacious plan.

A feint to the east while attacking the west!

The Black Stone Army had made no attempt to conceal its movements, swiftly annihilating three key nests in the Jade Swamp.

They used this to lure the enemy out in full force, making them think they had laid an inescapable trap.

But this also meant that their most important stronghold in the southern Jade Swamp, the Demon Serpent Temple, was now more vulnerable than ever before!

"Yes, my Lord!"

Ed no longer hesitated. He struck his breastplate with a heavy fist, producing a dull thud.

The order was quickly passed down.

The massive army set out once more, but this time, it was to make a swift retreat in the direction they had come from.

The heavy footsteps of the Mammoths and the pounding of the Earth Dragons’ running intertwined, kicking up billowing dust clouds, making no effort to hide their movements.

And on the other side of the main army.

The Golden Dragon, Sun, spread its wings and shot off like an arrow from a bow, heading straight for the northeast with Raylo, who rode the storm.

Behind him, sixteen Griffin Knights flew in a protective formation around their Lord.

Higher still, six smaller Sky Dragons also spread their wings.

The fierce wind howled in their ears as the clouds rushed past below them.

Raylo leaned low on the broad back of Baofeng, the Storm Griffin King, its tawny Iron Feathers slicing through the air like blades.

Thousands of meters below them, on the ground, patches of forest and countless muddy swamps and ponds slowly drifted backward.